Awaiting Sunrise

Two years ago, a beautiful sunrise found me atop a forlorn mountain. Besides me, a weathered wooden statue of Jesus on a cross stood steadfast, having braved the stormy elements that would have battered this windswept ridge through multiple seasons and multiple generations. And right now, it awaited the warming rays of golden sunlight this beautiful morning.

The sun was beginning to rise from behind the peaks yonder, drenching the dark mountainscape with light. And with that light, the landscape slowly morphed through multiple shades, from deep crimson to red to orange and then a golden yellow at present. As the light intensity increased, so did my perception of the tumultuous landscape all around: jagged ridges, towering cliffs, and deep valleys still in shadow, while the patchy clouds still changing through shades of orange provided a definition to the sky above.

Such is the beauty of witnessing a spectacular sunrise on the Dolomites. It can be a transformative experience, and I, for one, was glad I could capture this scene. This was a HDR shot at ISO 800 at F11

Monte Lagazuoi
Cortina d'Ampezzo Italy

Of Barren Landscapes...

Exactly a year ago to the date, I was captivated by the breathtaking moonscape that was speeding by the window as my car hurtled along desolate landscape in the northern regions of Iceland. The smooth blue tarmac of the Ring road cut through a range of old glaciated peaks that were but mere bumps on a map, but in reality seemed a lot higher. The sweeping curves of this highway that stretched for miles ahead, formed the singular imprint of humancivilization in this forlorn and bleak surroundings, where even vegetation struggled to grow on the loose volcanic soil. I struggled to capture the essence of its beauty, and this image, shot at F9, ISO 800 at 1/200s with a telephoto lens, only barely manages.

I will never forget the sheer sense of isolation I perceived in the landscape there (barring the dozens of other tourists passing by every minute), with my mind constantly wondering about how so much diversity existing in this one single island. Iceland brought about new surprises with every turn of the road or the trail, and each moment renewed the sense of excitement I was experiencing. Whether it was being awestruck by the Northern Lights, mesmerized by the shifting fog in the landscape, hypnotized by the sheer size of Dettifoss (waterfall), or even lost in this desolate landscape, Iceland was perhaps one of the most adventurous outdoor destinations I had been in.

Here is my 1-year tribute to this amazing island.

Myvatn
Iceland

Parting clouds

While crossing Tioga pass in Yosemite National Park late one summer evening, I noticed the parting clouds after an afternoon thunderstorm meandering over the pass. I stopped the car and made a beeline for a group of vernal ponds right on the saddle, hoping for something magical to happen. And it did.

As the sun started slowly sinking behind the granite ranges around, the winds died down, and the nearest pond took on an eerie stillness. The dynamic shapes and patterns on the clouds were perfectly reflected in nature's mirror, while, in the distance, the lingering thunderstorm cell started to catch the warm rays of the setting sun and turned to a shade of burning yellow. I captured this scene with 3 exposures at F/11 and ISO 400, merged with HDRfx.

I had recently remarked to a friend that Yosemite National Park was perhaps one of my most favorite photography destinations. And looking back at the beauty of the high alpine landscape of Yosemite through photos I had captured in the park, I truly stand by that claim.

Yosemite National Park
CA USA

Endless Mountains of the North Cascades

It is not particularly easy to get a bird's eye vista of the North Cascades mountains. Unlike the Sierra Nevadas or the Rockies, where several high-altitude roads provide easy access to trailheads, one must really work to climb high up and get those airy vistas. Or head to the trails of Mt Rainier National Park that snake upwards from the Sunrise visitor center.

While hiking along the Skyline trail on a late summer afternoon, I turned back to take a glimpse of the Nisqually valley with the river cutting through the rocky tree-covered slopes of the lower Cascades. Through the summer smog, one could glimpse the silhouette of a series of endless mountains making up the horizon view, each one hiding new vistas and new opportunities to explore. I tried to capture the grand beauty of the scene, but a camera can only do so much. This was shot at ISO 1600, at F/11 for 1/1500 (the only reason for such a high ISO was that I forgot to change the settings)

Mt Rainier National Park
WA USA

Totality

It was the morning of Aug 21, the day of the total eclipse. The bright sunny day was slowly transforming into a twilight zone. The light started fading slowly at first, and quickened as it approached totality. The mercury was dropping steadily, and I regretted my decision on not carrying a hoodie. The crescent of the sun continued thinning, and suddenly, Mt Jefferson, a volcanic peak 100 miles away, went dark. And then, darkness hit me with a celestial hammer.

The bright disk of sunlight was replaced by the stream of coronal discharge emanating in all directions. Even solar flares on the surface became visible. And while that in itself was spectacular, it was seeing the surreal landscape around that threw me off. The sky was pitch black above me (dark enough to spot planets), while on either side of the band of totality, it looked like twilight after a sunset. The crowds all around erupted in cheers, while I was still juggling the task of soaking in the scene and trying to capture the event with two cameras. Nevertheless, it was an unforgettable event. And then, just as darkness began, it ended.

I had seen eclipses before, a partial eclipse back in India, and an annular eclipse in California. And I had known today's total eclipse for a long time. And I had always wondered what the big deal of a total eclipse was. But after today's event, I was completely blown away by how unique totality is. And I now look forward to total eclipses that the future will bring.

Madras
OR USA

The Mighty Milford

As the cruise boat rounded the corner and revved up for its final sprint back to the dock, the mighty mountains that lined up the Milford Sound came into view. From sea level, the vegetation-encrusted rugged slopes reached upwards of 4800ft into the sky. While snow-capped peaks smothered with clouds beckoned me in the distance, the glistening blue waters of the fjords and the glowing slopes of the fjord caught my eyes.

And at that opportune moment, another tourist boat floated into view, putting the entire scene in perspective - the boat was but a tiny speck of dusk against the backdrop of the mighty mountains of the Milford sound. And it was then that I began to appreciate the sheer size of the Southern Alps of New Zealand, and the desire to return back and shoot this beautiful fjord under differing light conditions increased exponentially. Hopefully I get to revisit this unforgettable fjord once again.

This was shot from the deck of the cruise boat at F11, at 85mm and 1/160s at ISO 800.

Milford Sound
Southland NZ

Fall back to Spring

A spring a very long time ago, I wandered onto the rolling landscape atop Table Mountain in the heart of California Wildflower country. And here, I experienced what it would have been like before California got cultivated: acres of beautiful green grass draped by a patchwork of yellow, purple and orange blooms gently swaying under a warm afternoon sun. Puffy white clouds floated in gently from the horizon, making for a great backdrop for the few farmsteads dotting the scene.

Every nook and cranny I explore atop that butte had wildflowers of varying shapes and sizes, from tiny goldfields on the green meadows to giant irises and poppies in the shade. While the park played host to hundreds of people on that weekend morning, it was easy to get away from the crowds and find my own place of solitude. As I wandered around, the scattered oak trees provided great points of focus in this beautiful pastoral scene that spring morning. I shot one of those oak trees at ISO 400 for 1/60s at F11, with a polarizer helping to add contrast to the scene.

Table Mountain Ecological Reserve
CA USA

Welcome to Seattle

The sweeping arc of the onramp races below me to merge onto the busy deck of an expressway, which, in the distance, leads to the gleaming lights of downtown Seattle. The tendrils of automotive traffic snakes its way through the concrete network carrying commuters home after a long day and bringing tourists in to enjoy a beautiful summer weekend. The pulse of the city can be easily measured by the traffic patterns on this busy arterial thoroughfare for Seattle.

I had always wanted to shoot from this location, a bridge connecting Capital Hill and Beacon Hill overlooking the busy junction of I-90 and I-5, and over the last week, I finally managed to. While the sunset was less than spectacular, it was worth waiting until twilight for the lights of the skyscrapers to turn on. While the viewpoint was great, I am not entirely satisfied with the location, and I need to find another vantage point that avoids the emptiness on the right side of the image. I hope to return back to try out other compositions under more colorful sunsets. This particular shot was an 8s exposure at F11 and ISO 400

Seattle
WA USA

Storm in the Arashan

It was easy to see why this resort village, the Altyn Arashan, situated at the heart of the Central Tien Shan mountains, was purported to have restorative powers. It was partly the breath-taking surroundings of this pastoral camp, and partly due to the smattering of natural hot-water springs fed by the mineral rich waters of the region. But for me, it was the setting that took my breath away

Dramatic mountain ranges hemmed in V-shaped canyons draped with a patchwork lush green meadows and pristine coniferous forests that crept up the steep slopes on either side. A rough tumbling mud-track paralleled a narrow river carrying gurgling glacial-melt down the mountains, along which lay many traditional yurts and rustic lodges. Hiking and climbing opportunities were abound in this region, with every peak and every valley presenting new adventures.

It was indeed so breathtaking that I chose to spend an extra day here (and would have spent more time here exploring the beautiful landscape were it not for other constraints). And once I got out, I longed to go back to this paradise. And as a farewell, the sky presented this beautiful thunderstorm cell lighting up during sunset. I used a graduated ND filter in this single-exposure image shot at F11 at ISO 200 for 1.3s

Altyn Arashan
Kyrgyzstan

Hayfield in Twilight

It was 9pm in eastern Montana. Miles and miles of nothingness stretched all around me. And piercing through it towards the western horizon was the long silvery snake of pavement. Interspersed between undulating hayfields and cattle ranches were tiny farmsteads and rolling hills, gradually leading to the snow-capped massif of the Rockies, the spine of the country.

I had a couple of hours of driving left, but the sun was already taking its last glance at the landscape all around me. But as the road rose above a small hill, the scene opened up, and I finally reached a vantage point that captured the essense of the pastoral scene so characteristic of eastern Montana. A tight crop with a telephoto lens captured the rolling landscape with bales of hay randomly scattered on the fields. At ISO 3200 and 1/80mm at F9, it was a noisy shot, but it did allow me to capture the colors well.

Great Falls
MT USA